Scientology Is Officially Recruiting at Cannes

By Jo Piazza Posted May 19th 2011 01:15PM

Hollywood has imported more than film and celebrity to the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France. It's also brought along its pet religion, Scientology.

Yes, a Scientology recruiting outpost has been set up just off the festival's main drag, a couple blocks from the Palais des Festivals, since the start of the film orgy last week.

This center has a crew that speaks five languages, consisting of Scientologists flown to Cannes from around the world. They mainly seem to spend their days hollering on the sidewalk, asking passersby if they can "show them something" inside the center, which is festooned with a sign boldly declaring 'La Dianétique,' or 'Dianetics,' the religion's leading text.

Scientology, for those unfamiliar, is a religion based on the teachings of science fiction writer and global adventurer L. Ron Hubbard. The religion boasts a loyal celebrity following including Tom Cruise and John Travolta and is often maligned for somewhat unorthodox beliefs about the creation of humanity.

In Cannes, after three separate incidents of being accosted by representatives with wide smiles even brighter than their flashy red shirts, I acquiesced to a visit and was personally escorted into the center by Gregory (who refused to give his last name) from the Celebrity Center in Paris (there are approximately 45,000 Scientologists in France, I was told). Gregory handed me two cylindrical metal panels hooked up to one of Scientology's gadgets, the e-meter, which purports to measure the conductivity of electricity in the skin to determine where you have stress in your life. One of the tenets of Scientology is auditing, a process meant to cleanse the auditee of his or her stress triggers and demons.

Gregory told me many celebrities have visited the Scientology outpost during the festival but declined to name any by name. Then the pretty blonde Frenchman asked me a series of questions about people who stress me out in my life, my job and my finances. He finally just flat-out asked, "What bothers you in your life?"

"Nothing really," I told him. "I'm in France ... doing work. That rocks."

Having given up on finding my stress trigger Gregory tried another tactic -- recommending I purchase the Hubbard tome 'Self Analysis' for 16 Euros and visit the Celebrity Center in New York City when I get home. I told him I had been there. That's probably when they decided to Google me.

Once the Scientology staffers realized I was a reporter they chased me down the street, demanding I give them my contact information so that a PR representative could contact me to tell me more about their operation.

When I told them I was fine, they insisted and I handed over my email. I started my mission as a curious religion enthusiast. They had turned on the reporter in me. Sure enough, an hour later I received word from Eric Roux, Scientology spokesman involved specifically with the Celebrity Center.

He was very happy to answer questions over email. He told me this was not a one-off thing. They had been setting up shop in Cannes for 10 years.

"We are very well-received there," Roux said in an email. "As you may know, we, as Scientologists, love to spread our religion and make it known. Best way for people to know about it is to get them the opportunity to read L. Ron Hubbard books."

Roux stressed that Scientology is a religion that embraces people who work in the arts, making Cannes an excellent place to proselytize.

"Cannes, beside the 'people' side of the festival, is also a great place for artists during this festival. And we have a lot of demand for Scientology, so we are here to respond to it," Roux said.

I asked Roux which celebs had visited the center since it had been in Cannes. He was as tight-lipped as Gregory.

"Regarding celebrities, I never talk about that. If celebrities want to talk about it, they do it, but I respect them too much to talk either in their name, either about them and Scientology, which is their business. I hope you understand," Roux said.

More Cannes Celebrity Coverage from Jo Piazza:
Director Makes Things Awkward with Kirsten Dunst Depression Comment

Tags: Cannes, Scientology

Comments

(29)

Thursday 19 May

By Kaley

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Isn't that Scieno-Cult forbidden in France?

By SkyBlue

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That's Germany.

Monday 23 May

By nono la patate

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no the cult of scientology is not forbidden or banned in france
a few members were convicted WITH SUSPENDED TERM OF JAIL ,FINES
in a trial two years ago IN 2009 they will be on appeal in november this year FOR THE MOMENT NO ONE IS REALLY CONVICTED
now these guys are still in activity we will have vto wait for november results ..maybe Xmas will be earlier tjis very year ;;

By Ralph Zuccaro

I did know that L. Ron Hubbard is the REAL SCAM artist behind this so called religion, which is nothing more than "Power Pyramid SCHEME to make money for a few millionaires !!!! Look into Ron Hubbards fathers past- I understand he, and old time movie star, Errol Flynn were very close friends who traveled the WORLD together, seeking "very young children" boys and girls, to help them in their lives as STAUNCH PEDOPHILES!!!! I guess young Ron learned a lot of Scams from POP and Errol;!!!

By Samantha Lehman

Scientology is NOT a religion, it IS a following in a cult.

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All religions are cults. Even yours, if you have one.

By ObjectiveReporting

That's nice, right after Scientology got convicted of fraud in France last year and while it's being investigated by the FBI in America for slave labor and other things

By Leo

It makes one wonder,how can successful people be idiotic enough to even consider that so called reigion?

By Georgia

Sure, I find Scientology weird and ridiculous, but whatever. They're not harming anyone. What I DO find scary are the freaks that picket outside soldier's funerals condemning gays while stating the rapture is going to happen in 4 days.

By Hugo Fuggyersellv

Not harming anyone? Are you stupid?

Goole Lisa McPherson, Heriburt Pfaff, Josephus Havenith for just a few of the dead people.

Google Paulette Cooper for someone who survived but barely. Scientology is a vicious, criminal cult. There is a long list of convictions and it's international.

Christianity has brought about the persecution and death of millions, but hey, we can ignore that fact and focus on those two.

NEVER HEARD OF LIUSA MC PHERSON ?

By Fred

Scientology is a cult!! I cannot believe that anyone takes them seriously at all.

By kimd

Have to say,they are a scary bunch of mofos.

By themeeker

Anyone stupid enough to join gets everything they deserve. These people are frauds with the midget Cruise leading the fraud parade.

By sharron

If you people think Suri is screwed up now wait until she goes through school at the "ORG" .... I feel sorry for Connor and Isabel - I am sure their lives are less than pleasant. They are never allowed to be alone. Katie Holmes need to grab her kid and run as far away as she can get. Her Dad was right to feel the way he does about Tom.

By Sherwood

Scientology = aliens. Unbelievable and stupid!

Christianity = Mystical man in the sky, animal-filled arks, living in a whale's belly. Totally makes sense and not stupid!

By cassideee2

STRAIGHT UP, Sherwood! Fairy tales! Only the weak-minded believe that crap...

It's all a freak show. Between the mindless morons in H'wood to the so-called 'religious' cults they seek, they're all friggin' idiots, zealots and fanatics. Scientology is simply a money-making scheme preying on those who are too stupid to know better as they get their pocket picked with the promise of 'inner-peace.' Fools. All of them.

By tbshmkr

Scientology is a cult.
But after 21 May 2011, who cares? The Apocalypse begins.

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